“This is not a game. This is not a movie. This is real. And guests will be tormented by horrifying creatures from an alternate dimension, including the iconic deformed nurses and the executioner. “

 

So, Universal Studios is adding a Silent Hill theme to its hugely popular Halloween Horror Nights attraction at its Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood locations. That’s a good thing or a bad one, depending on how much you like being scared silly by things that go bump in the night. Personally, I’ve never really been scared at any horror house I’ve been to most likely because I have a pretty morbid sense of humor to begin with and tend to elbow anyone who tries to do a “jump out’ scare on me in the eye. I also know that at the end of the day everyone going in will come out alive (soiled shorts optional) and all those mask and makeup wearing guys and gals putting the fear of fear into the heads of those who show up are making an honest buck.

That said, I’m actually interested in this attraction because I’m a HUGE Silent Hill fan (definitely more of the games than of that first film, despite some interesting changes and performances) and the idea of adding a crowd dynamic to a game that’s best played alone in the dark is intriguing. Granted, with the wrong crowd, the show could end up as scary as taking a school bus load full of kids to a car was. but I think Universal can do a better job at freaking most people out than that. Hopefully, as too many folks seem to be jaded about stuff they shouldn’t be. Then again, turn out the lights and brush a fake hand against someone’s hair and  you’ve got a 85% chance of them hitting the ceiling…

If anything, this should give Konami ideas about how to implement some sort of multiplayer into a Silent Hill game that’s not just about running around killing weird-looking creatures. Hell, all the best horror-related games I’ve played involve less gunning and more running from something that’s not easy to get away from because it’s gotten so far under your skin that you just want to peel it off with a rusty knife. Oh, by the way… Silent Hill Revelation comes out on October 26 (I did not know this until now), so if you’re in the Orlando or Hollywood areas around Halloween, you can double the scares on your trip. Just remember to bring an extra pair or two of underwear…